Monday, 31 May 2010

Just to let you know I haven't forgotten about my giveaway, I finally decided what to buy so am just waiting for it to arrive and will post the giveaway here as soon as, also if you know how to use those random generator things please let me know x

Sunday, 30 May 2010

I was pleased with the other products I had bought from the Shu Art of Hair range but found the Silk Bloom shampoo a bit heavy to use every day. This time I bought the Moisture Velvet shampoo (£22.50), which is enriched with Camelia oil. It’s wonderfully moisturising, leaving my hair really soft and not as heavy as the Silk Bloom.I do feel that my hair in stronger and I have less breakage since using the Shu range, when I went back to the hairdressers I had two of the hairdressers and the girl washing my hair make comments on the strength of my hair, but not sure if that was genuine or that they were hoping I would buy more stuff, hard to tell sometimes!Here are the ingredientsI bought this from a Sean Hanna salon but notice that Look fantastic have started selling the range. http://www.lookfantastic.com/hair/shu-uemura-art-of-hair I'm very tempted by the Paddle brush but they had run out in the Salon, although £39 is probably a bit much to pay for a hair brush......maybe.....

Friday, 28 May 2010

I thought I’d go for something a bit different, I used Blackpepper Jay as a lid shade and put loose glitter pigment in Spun From Sunny Seawater all over it, giving me a nice deep smoky green. I used a bit of loose glitter pigment Sleeping Under a Mandarin Tree in the inner corner, Devotion Ink in Anthracite Essence to line and Spun From Sunny Seawater on the lower lash line.Swatches of colours used:

Wednesday, 26 May 2010

I’ve been using my Le Metier De Beaute glosses quite a bit lately so I wanted to show you how they look on, however after endless attempts to capture the colour, I’ll have to admit defeat.The only ones that turned out lifelike were Dubai and Peche. To compensate for this, I’ve done some more swatches and taken a picture of them all together.I didn’t think to put any foundation/concealer on so ignore my skin!DubaiPecheSwatches/Picture L-R: Ibiza (shimmery peachy pink) Peche Lip Creme (peach with a slight golden shimmer) Bondi Beach (neutral browned rose), Dubai (shimmery cool toned pink), Bali (warm shimmery cranberry red).Although the colours are sheer they are really glossy, combined with a lightweight texture that is not sticky or tacky, these are one of my favourite glosses.

Sunday, 23 May 2010

Miller and Harris are one of those brands I kept meaning to buy but never got round to, guess I’m easily distracted. I finally ordered the shower gel in Fleur Oriental (£18).I have to mention the beautiful packaging and box; I really like the intricate design and think it stands out from quite a lot of other brands.The scent is rich, warm and comforting. The scent is described as a “re-interpretation of the Oriental family, a base of amber, vanilla and musk, which is lightened and animated by fresh orange flower, heliotrope, spicy carnation and Turkish rose.” To my nose it also smells a bit patchouli-based.It feels light on but is wonderfully moisturising (this maybe due to the olive oil). I would love to try some of the perfumes but ordering them online without ever having sniffed them would probably be foolish, shame they don’t sell sample packs. At any rate I’ll be buying some more MH shower gels, as they are a nice indulgence.

Although I like a lot of the Molton brown shower gels, quite a few of them make my sensitive skin itch. This is not the case with the new for spring and limited edition Fairy Fleur (£17). This is a beautiful clean scent, mixing a crisp green freshness with a soft floral. I’ll be picking up another one before they disappear from the shelves.

I bought this from my local store but if you are ordering enough to qualify for free delivery I think it better to order from the website as they always put in a good sized sample and I find the store never does.

Friday, 21 May 2010

Bourjois have brought out a new brand called Une. Its marketed as a “natural” brand. The product formulas are 98%-100% from natural origin and a lot have ECOcert certification. No oils are derived from petrochemisty, and the products contain no parabans or silicone, synthetic dyes or fragrances.The range seems to be about lightweight formulas/textures. More about enhancing the natural beauty with easy to wear neutral shades. At the moment it looks like it’s only in the UK and Europe.

When I went to see the display I was a bit overwhelmed by the differing brown shadows and natural lip shades. A lot of the colours looked very similar and if you were a neutral/natural makeup type person you would probably have a field day!

I bought the skin glow foundation (£11.99) in the lightest shade they had there, G02. The colour is too dark and its more yellow rather than pink toned. The fact that the colour doesn’t match isn’t a problem as it’s extremely sheer, even sheerer than my RBR tinted moisturiser. Unfortunately I’m not blessed with good skin so I’m giving this to my Mum, but texture wise I would say its easy to blend and provided just enough moisture for my dry skin without being greasy/oily, but I think if you have really dry skin this won’t be enough for you.

I also got one of the Sfumato Eyeshadow S13(£8.99), which is meant to give a “delicately smoky finish”. I’m not sure I would say this gives me a smoky look but it is a really nice brown/beige nude, but don’t go thinking you’ll get the colour as it appears in the pan as the pigmentation is very sheer. It applied quite smoothly and lasted really well.I also got a Sheer Lips Balm S03(£7.99). It feels very balm like without feeling overly heavy. Its quite moisturising and the colour gives me a nice slightly pink/rose MLBB look with a slight sheen finish, its not long lasting though.Swatches below, I've only done two swipes of the lip/eye productOverall I think the range concept is really encouraging, having ECOcert certification can only be a good thing and its great to have a range that is silicone free.Although the foundation wasn’t for me I have since been and bought some more of the range (its on 3 for 2 at Boots at the moment) as I do like the lip/eye product I bought and as you know I’m slowly accumulating an army of cosmetics all in neutral variants of the same shade...I will say though that if you are buying the shadows in store, give them a swatch first as a lot of the ones I tried have been no way as intense as in the pan.

I have reached the 100 milestone, unless any of you leave me, and I'll look like I can't count :)Thank you,it means a lot that I know there are people who read about my "habit"I'll be doing a giveaway soon, just need to decide what to get.

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

I really like the look of the Guerlain dazzling radiance summer collection, so went to the counter to have a look. Unfortunately I was informed that its not out till June for those of us in the UK.I was a bit deflated as I was really looking forward to seeing the collection but appeased myself by picking up two of the single eye shadows.Although I have had a few of the quads, this is the first time I have tried the singles. I picked up 160 l'instant coquin and 180 l'instant fume, £19 each.Shade 180 is a beautiful taupe, more on the grey side. Although I have similar shades I don’t have anything quite like it, and this has fast become one of my favourite shades.In the store shade 160 looked like a sheer pink with a peach iridescent to it, once home however its actually a sheer pink matte. There is nothing wrong with the shade, its just not what I thought it was (I wonder if someone had transferred some colour of another of the shadows into the tester when swatching and that’s why it looked so different).The one thing I noticed with these shadows is that unlike the quads the texture feels a bit dry, although they don’t look at all dry when applied (you get a nice smooth look). Other than that I really like these, true to colour and they last extremely well, I will definitely be checking out the other 4 singles that are released with the summer collection.

Sunday, 16 May 2010

When you see I have made a MAC purchase, you can basically read that as “I had a bad day at work so stomped off to MAC in my lunch break”I bought my stuff last Thursday and the highlighter was sold out already, so if you’re interested in that I’d get it as soon as possible.I was looking at Fun Bathing lipstick but got talked into Lazy Days instead by the SA. It’s a very sheer cool toned slightly milky pink .Its a bit too pale for me and washes me out slightly so I combine it with a gloss to make it more wearable.I got blush in Hipness, which is a really pretty vibrant coral pink. Whilst I really like the shade I find the lasting power is not that good.Lastly I got eyeliner in Rosemary & Thyme; it’s a medium olive green with slight gold shimmer.Its nicely pigmented and lasts really well when used on the top lid to line, however when used on the waterline the colour didn’t seem to adhere well.Overall I’m quite pleased with my buys, I just have to work with them a bit. I do like that the collection has shades for those either warm or cool toned as summer collections are usually a bit of a no go for me.

Friday, 14 May 2010

Back track a week and there I was at the Estee Lauder counter having a look at the mascara’s and I couldn’t help but notice the many GWP signs dotted around. To think it could all be mine if I purchased one more thing, I then saw that they had the summer collection out. In an “I must get free items” haze I picked up a liquid shadow and crystal lipstick (you’ll note I didn’t get a mascara which I went in for). Feeling rather victorious with my purchase (the GWP included a mini mascara so it must have been meant to be) I headed to Boots to pick up my lunch, I thought I may as well pick up a sunscreen for my husband and then noticed there was a No7 GWP on. I only had to buy three products, cunning idea, I could get my husband the No7 Facial protect SPF50 sunscreen and then I was down to only needing two more items. I remembered seeing the new hot cloth cleanser raved about on a few blogs and I knew the new nail polish colours had got good reviews so my 3 items were now decided.Once home and surrounded by my goodies two thoughts occurred to me1. I don’t think I have ever really liked an Estee Lauder product2.I don’t think I have ever really liked a No7 product.Perhaps this time it would be different, erm…. no. I don’t really like any of it. The liquid shadow goes on patchy/uneven, the nail polish chipped really badly in one day, the lipstick whilst a nice shade (warm pink nude) I find heavy and drying, the cleanser has broken me out, and my skin texture feels dryer than normal.

Nail polish in Queenie 60Swatch:Bronze Goddess sand shimmer, crystal baby 301 pure colour lipstick,If you are wondering if my glorious GWPS would save me, you can stop, as they didn’t, half of it went in the bin after the first try and the skincare I gave to my mum. Here's a picture of the GWP mascara for interest The EL sumptuous bold volume mascara lengthen and gave thickness but was extremely clumpy and the No7 extreme length gave a bit of length and nothing else.

Clearly I have a problem, I’d like to think I won’t do this again but I said that last time…..

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

I finally gave in and bought the limited edition Les Dauphins Palette. Priced at a hefty £79, the way I see it, the normal eye shadow/blushers are £23 each and I know when I bought a 8 pan empty palette a few years back if cost me a upsetting £42 so I imagine that the 3 pans must be about £20 now and this is a refillable 4 pan, anyhow that’s my feeble attempt to justify the price.

The palette comes in a darker case than normal, more of a gunmetal colour. The mirrored palette contains 3 eye shadows, and one blush. Each pan is split into a lighter and darker tone. Each pan is embossed with dolphin engravings (five percent of the sale will be donated to help save dolphins in Greece); with a shimmery over spray, which wore off after two uses.Here is the palette without the oversprayOn me the eyeshades are a slightly pink beige base/sheer white pink highlighter, two taupe shades (more brown than grey) and a medium grey/deeper slate grey.Chantecaille shadows have a fine, smooth, easy to blend texture; the only thing I find is that if I blend too much I seem to blend the colour away.Your not getting intense pigment from these eyeshadows but it gives a really easy to wear neutral day time look. The finish is a slight sheen/shimmer.Whilst you can use each eyeshade pan separately, I use the blusher swirled together as I don’t have a bizarre tiny blusher brush. On my pale skin the blusher is quite a strong warm pink.Swatch below, the lighter, then darker shade and then both combinedOverall if you love your neutrals and taupes and like the Chantecaille formula I think this is worth the splurge.

Sunday, 9 May 2010

It started out innocently enough, I was popping into Topshop to get a pair of trousers for work ( always seems wrong to have to spend money on clothes you don’t really want to be wearing). Needless to say I didn’t get any trouser but did come out with some of the new makeup range.Typically my makeup is mid to high end, its not like I refuse to buy cheaper brands its just everytime I do they never seem to perform well and end up in the bin. The topshop range, although heavily glitter focused does offer a selection of products that can cater for those wanting a more natural look and those who like their brights.Here's what I bought and my thoughts:Lipstick in Mink (£8) this is your typically pinky/brown, a lot more heavy on the brown and with a bit of warmth, this is a nice shade, has good pigmentation and lasts really well.The finish is semi matte. My problem is that its drying and seems to get worse the longer its on, its resolved by wearing a balm underneath it but I’d rather not have to use another product to get another one to perform.

Eyeshadow duo in Rocky Road (£6) this contain a slightly shimmered mink champagne and almost matte mocha.The texture is quite smooth, with medium pigmentation. It blends ok and last well, although not comparable to my high end brands the quality is along the lines of my mid end brands (MAC,Bobbi Brown).Swatches L-R: Mink,Rocky RoadNail Polish in Big Smoke (£5) there are a lot of these stone/taupe colours doing the rounds. Two coats gives the colour in the bottle and its wears quite well with minimal chipping.The formula is rather thick though so can go a bit gloopy. They have a really good selection of nail shades, lots of blues,greys and brights.Mascara in Raven (£8)this gives me some length and thickness but does clump if I put on too many coasts and doesn't seem to curl. It doesn't flake or smudge though.Wearing shadow duo and mascara belowOverall this is probably my most successful foray into a cheaper makeup range. I probably will pick up a few more things, the crayons looked nice even though they are packed full of glitter (felt really smooth and creamy). I think for the price its worth a look when you are next in there.

Friday, 7 May 2010

I’ve always liked the idea of exfoliators but on my dry, sensitive, acne prone skin they usually break me out, irritate me, or dry my skin out.This is my third Snowberry product and its better priced compared to the other two, £37 for 75ml (you can get the travel sized version at £21.50 for 15ml).It claims to give you the following benefits:· Immediately but gently removes dead skin cells – assisting in stimulating new cellular growth· Immediately provides the skin with a smooth, clean and refreshed feeling· Helps to re-hydrate the epidermis.· Helps to maintain healthy skin ecology· Reduces the appearance of wrinkles· Increases moisturisation and hydration

I’ve used this no more than 2 times a week for over a month now. It’s a beige colour and has a cream consistency. Its not packed full of beads (it uses a combination of exotic oils, herbal extracts, Jojoba, precious gems, cultured coral and pearl, to remove dead skin rather than polyethylene beads) but as a result it doesn’t feel harsh.Here are the ingredients:It feels really moisturising without being overly oily. I remove it with wet cotton pads then rinse my face with water. My skin is not left feeling dry or coated in a film. It exfoliates well; my skin feels smooth without any redness or irritation.For now I’ll say I’m undecided as to whether I’d buy this again. Whilst I have nothing bad to say, I’m not sure of any long-term benefits of this particular scrub in terms of increased hydration, less wrinkles, for me its main benefit is that it does not upset my skin. Ultimately I do wonder if I really need a scrub in my routine, whether it be this one or another brand.

I bought this from Harvey Nichols. Just to give you an update I have used up the Instant deep cleanser and have re bought it.For more information on Snowberry please see here http://www.snowberrybeauty.com/

Wednesday, 5 May 2010

L’Occitane has recently released a limited edition makeup collection. Its inspired by the colours and varieties of peony flowers, all the products are free from parabens and the casing is made from FSC cardboard. All the items are Peony scented.

I went into a L’Occitane store and was greeted by an SA, I noticed that the Peony display was missing some items (one of the lipsticks and all the eyeshadows) and inquired when they would get them in, she replied that she had no idea, and it might not be for quite some time, it did seem strange to launch a limited edition collection and not release all the products at the same time.I said to her I was just going to have a look at the colours, she did not leave my side. I picked up the Etoile des neiges Illuminating Powder and swatched it (it was very pale, not much colour pay off) and she asked if I wanted to try the products on instead, I said no it was fine, I just wanted to have a look so I could decide what to buy. I didn’t feel like I could swatch anymore, maybe this is something L’Occitane discourage? She still did not leave my side, I said ok, thanks, I’ll just get a few things, still she did not move, so I just grabbed some stuff but wasn’t able to have a proper look. I wanted to look at the lip balm and lip and cheek tint really but felt quite uncomfortable with her standing right next to me not saying anything.In the end I bought lipsticks (£12.50 each) in Mme Louis Henry Lipstick (very sheer peach with slight pink tone and non gritty microglitter) and Paeonia ( sheer but bright pop of cool toned pink).

The formula is really nice; it’s very comfortable, smooth, lightweight and not drying. As there is a bit of slip to these they aren’t long lasting.

I also bought Marie Rivière Liquid Shine Lip Colour(£11.50) a pink with golden shimmer, this goes on a lot more sheer that it appears in the tube and I only get a hint of colour, I think its best worn over a lipstick.The formula is not overly heavy but there is a bit of stickiness/tackiness to it, although this does make it last better.

Lastly I picked up the Hélène Facecolour Powder (£12.50) this is a sheer ivory base with golden shimmer. Its not an intense highlighter and looks like a sheen rather than full on shimmer. The texture is really smooth; I use it on cheeks and eyes.

Swatches (L-R):Mme Louis Henry,Paeonia,Marie Rivière, Hélène

Overall it’s a pretty collection for a soft natural look. I’m pleased with all the items, although I would have probably gone for a darker shine lip colour. I think the pricing fits well with the rest of the L’Occitane range. Where it not for the SA I’m sure I would have picked up some more.

Saturday, 1 May 2010

I’ve never had much luck with tinted moisturisers, they seem to either provide no coverage, break me out or are too oily/slippery.Although I have had great success with the RBR range I did wonder after I ordered the Sketches On Water Tinted Moisturiser if I would regret it. After one use I was sold.I got the lightest shade, Adansonia, to be honest it is a tad too dark for me but the sheerness of the product makes its wearable and it’s worth it for the results. Adansonia does not have any overly pink or yellow tones; it just looks like a beige skin colour. I think if you are a MAC NC/NW 15-20 this will be a good match.Swatch below:dabbed on and then blended in.At the time I bought this I had been suffering from a heavy cold and had the dreaded dry/flakiness around my nose, nothing worked (even using a muslin cloth and a heavy balm) however this tinted moisturiser when on like a dream, I was extremely surprised no flaky/dry areas showed through. No matter the condition of my skin this goes on with a beautiful seamless your skin but better finish, I think the actual moisturiser within this product must be really good to be able to work with my skin.Texture wise its quite thick, but once on it feels really lightweight and has no oiliness to it at all; I think this would suit quite a variant of skin types. It provides a very light coverage, you still see your skin but it looks clearer and in better condition that it actually is.I think the only deterrent is going to be the price, its costs £47 and other than a Chantecaille foundation I once had this is my most expensive foundation. I’m at the point now that unless its really ridiculously priced if a product gives great results then I’ll pay more than I normally would and cut down on spending money on other things.I think if your interested in this it might be worth contacting Zuneta to see if you can get a sample first due to the price and the colour range (only 3 shades) so if you are lighter than me or quite dark you may not have a match but I am hoping that RBR will add a few more shades to this.